Well guys, I have to admit I’m not having as good of a hump-day as the image above would portray. My spirits are quite low today in fact. (But I won’t pretend that image isn’t cheering me up just a bit.)
The thing is I had a pretty important meeting just a few hours ago. It was a sales opportunity that could have been huge for me had I been able to close the deal. Like the kind of huge where I dreamed it might actually get Chris and I one of those real fancy apartments with two bathrooms. Maybe even dare I say… a his and hers sink? You can’t blame a girl for dreaming. I prepared for this meeting like the young professional I am by getting up extra early to shower, I typically prefer to shower at night and go to sleep with soaking wet hair just to add a little excitement to my morning regarding what kind of bed head I will wake up with. But not this time. Today I meant business. Right after I got out of the shower I looked myself in the mirror and gave a little pep talk- of course this was after I drew a USA flag and a astronaut helmet around my head in the condensation on the mirror like I always do. Just in case I’ve been right all along and my life truly is its very own Truman Show…
After my inspirational “You can do anything you set your mind to, this is your day! If Will Smith can sell whatever those weird machines were in Pursuit of Happiness then by golly you can sell this!” talk with myself, I went over my presentation, drank two cups of coffee and I was good to go. I was ready to sell a rainbow flag to the Westboro Baptist Church.
Because I am a bit OCD when it comes to punctuality, I arrived roughly fifty-five minutes early. You know what they say, if you’re not an hour early, you’re late. So I was perfectly okay with sitting in my car for a bit while I talked to the Universe about sending positive vibes my way. Just kidding I don’t do that! That’d be weird. I don’t make vision boards either…
I walked into the meeting feeling confident and in control. Sadly, so were the people I met with. I don’t want to bore you with the details of the actual meeting, but let’s just say I’ve somehow wound up in a position where I am often working with very intelligent people. Like know-how-to-create-computers intelligent. And sometimes these people ask me questions that I’m not sure how to answer. And then I just want to hide in the corner of the room and scream leave me alone! the more they continue to ask such difficult questions.
I feel like one of the most important qualities in sales (and in life in general really) is confidence. But once that confidence has been damaged, it’s pretty damn hard to recover. Potential clients can smell fear. And I was suddenly fearful. No matter how much I yelled at myself to pull it together you idiot! I was feeling more and more like an insecure five-year-old who was sitting in a meeting she shouldn’t have been in. I went from being a confident salesman saying “you can take a good look a t-bone by sticking your head up a bulls ass, but I’d rather take the butchers word for it,” to a stuttering “you can get a good look at a butchers ass by sticking your head up a bull…wait I mean… you can eat a butcher… ahh shit….” in a matter of two minutes.
I was in this meeting for over an hour. By the end of it I was able to get ahold of myself enough to demonstrate the product knowledge I did know and was able to be completely honest about the fact they were asking questions I had never been asked before, but I would find the answers. Because that’s what you’re supposed to say, right?
Luckily the deal hasn’t been completely shot to the wind- yet. I still might have a chance of pulling it through. A very slim chance, but it’s there. I just won’t be signing a lease on a new schnazzy apartment today like I had hoped.
In the meantime, if anyone needs me I’ll just be in my craft room making a new vision board. Listening to Adele.
been there girl, sales is a killer sometimes! good luck! 🙂
I admire anyone who has the cajones to be in sales! I bet you did better than you're giving yourself credit for. We're our own worst critics. Don't be so hard on yourself 🙂
Arg I feel you. I actually read this (Out in good ol Naperville..kinda close eh) while I was suppose to be making calls to CEOs..my sales calls that I'm doing trying to get meetings. So I kinda sorta know what you mean about dealing with the extra smarty pants in the room. My sales confidence is pretty down today, but knowing I'm not alone in it helps, gotta get back up and out there again. Woof.
Booo to that, sometimes though people think you did great even when you think you sucked it up. This could be one of those times.
I have my fingers crossed for you! I've been there. I had the worst presentation ever a few months ago and figured I'd never be asked to do public speaking again after the humiliation, but I was just asked this week by my boss. I figured I'd embarrassed her enough the first time. It sounds like you remained professional the whole time so that is a huge bonus. Go you!
ugh I was a college textbook sales rep and when they started asking me questions about the content of the books, my head spun. I was like, let's not focus on the text lets focus on this neato website you can get a headache from trying to get your students to use.
I could not handle sales. Not at all. I have always avoided jobs that even hint at the word "sale," and I will never, ever put myself anywhere near that situation. Good luck that it all turns out well, and remember it's "HUMP DAAAAYYYYYY YEAH!"
ohh sales is hard. i always think i'm good at sales until some one asks me a question and i fall slightly to peices.
and that is why you are stronger than me for being in sales. but keep quoting tommy boy and good things will come for you!
I wish your life was the Truman Show. I would totally watch. As for the sales meeting…at least you didn't turn into your Doing it Donna Style character…you didn't right???
Girlllll I am in [wine] sales, and I might walk in on a sales appt feeling confident as hell, and just like that, I get stumped by their overly complex questions and see my potential sale zoom out the window. It's HARD to be successful in sales, and I was just thinking to myself today how much I loathe that feeling of being a failure or not meeting my goals this very morning, so I know exactly how you feel!! BUT keep your chin up, and I will, too, because one day, we WILL have those answers, and we WILL make those big sales! yay.
in the meantime, you're a hilarious writer, and I'll buy your memoir someday
Westboro….vomit. I went to law school in Topeka. Those D-Bags stood on the corner right outside my apartment for 3 years….I had to fight the urge to junk punch them constantly. I bet your meeting went better than you think! Good luck!
Sounds horrifying! First of all I can't speak in public to save my life so but then to be bombarded with questions on the spot must be rough. I'm sure you handled it well even though it prob made you feel bad. And maybe it wasn't as bad as you think. Well, two more days until Friday!
Hang in there. That really sucks. What do they expect from you? You can't possibly know everything. You did the right thing of just saying what you did know and that you'll find the answers about what you don't know. Have a drink (or two) and just chalk it up to a learning experience. Hope you're having a better night!
His and hers sinks? Ahhhh sounds lovely! I'd settle for his bathroom and sick being outside (because he acts like a pig where I live).. but hey, dreams.. we've all got them. I used one of the same photos for my post today, hoping it would cheer me up but I still want to kill my fiance.. and I told the stranger at the gas station about my recent miscarriage and horrible fiance while buying 40's to drink by myself. Can you make me a vision board too?
Keep your head up!
Crossing my fingers for his and hers sinks in your future! I could never do sales, it's wayy wayy too much pressure. Oh and I am totally the same way about being on time, I still feel rushed If I am 10 minutes early, I always have to have tons of time to spare!
That can be so frustrating! I haven't had the chance to be in any large client meetings where something like that might happen, but I get that way with presentations in general and then find myself a babbling mess! No idea what I'm saying or doing, but I know I sound ridiculous! Good luck with the rest of the sale, I hope you end up getting it!
Boo! That sucks so much. Hopefully you can get them the answers to their questions and the rest of the sale will go well!
ooh i hope it went better than ya think, girlfriend. but i feel ya when it comes to working with really smart people and going to meetings with more really smart people and them asking you scary crazy questions that you have no clue how to answer…yep i totes feel ya!
Good luck sweet pea! Hopefully it will all work out in your favor!
Damnit dude! Hate it for ya. Sending good vibes your way that you end up closing the deal anyway. Andddd I definitely don't make vision boards either. Don't have one next to my mirror in my closet so I see it every morning or anything. No.
Totally understand what you're going through. Keep your confidence and you'll get it or another great deal! Fingers crossed!
Sales are no joke. Make the most of that small ounce of chance still left. Kick some serious ass to nail it.
Oh Tay, if you can't sell something then there is no hope for the rest of us… You are an exceptional person!!
x
You could have been all "you can't handle the truth" lol and then been like listen let's stop the questions and let me show you my ever awesome personal blog and then you will see I'm amazing and just pick my stuff, end of story. Want me to call them for you?! LOL! You are awesome I'm sure you did great remember we are our own worst critics! Happy Thursday
I have been there so many times! I'm sure you did so much better than I have done in the past (and probably said ummm like a thousand times less too!)
I have finally learned that when someone asks me a question that I cannot answer, I'm honest. I say
I do not know, that is a great question and the first time I've been asked. Let me get back to you on that because I'd hate to steer you in the wrong direction.
I'm sure it'll be fine and I bet you did great!
Good luck, girly! You probably did WAAAAAYYY better than you are giving yourself credit for. We are our own worst critics, after all. You are a beautiful, smart, and funny girl. I'm sure that your charm shined thru in your presentation, and those people saw it just like we all do.
LOL…"listening to Adele." I actually laughed out loud 😉
And can totally picture it. We all do it.
Aww, dang them and their dumb hard questions!
I am sure you were great!
Good luck 🙂
I've been job hunting and in turn, practicing my interviewee skillz. Even though I'm pretty charming I'm also super out of interview practice so bombing has been on my mind a lot. Your situation sounds like my worst nightmare BUT when I start to get rulll nervous I think of Spud's interview in Trainspotting and I tell myself 2 things – 1. There's no way in hell it could be as bad as that. And 2. If it did get that bad I might as well make the most of it. I've made up a little game in my head called "Can I make this as awkward for you as it is for me." Which doesn't just apply to job interviews. It's flexible. You can pretty much fit the game to any awkward exchange. (including sales meetings)
Obviously we're in different positions – the worse thing that can happen to me is I don't get the job but at least I get an awesome story. I suppose if you bomb bad enough you get fired. But yeah, I'm sure you did better than you think. For sure.
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